Day 4694 - Halloween

It was a long hot day in the sun. I'm glad it's the end of October instead of the middle of July though. I think I'm just getting old. I found myself growing tired more quickly than I used to on these trips out to the launch pad. That being said, it was a beautiful day and it doesn't look like there will be any weather problems tomorrow. I enjoyed talking with the other launch photographers, although I didn't get the pictures I had hoped for. There were two busses and the first bus I was on was a little too early for the roll out to the pad. I got a few shots of the Falcon Heavy emerging from the hanger but that was about it. I hope I do better tomorrow.

I asked everyone whether they were going to the Press Site or the ITL Causeway tomorrow. There was no clear consensus about which location was best. The Press Site has a slightly better view of the launch, while the ITL Causeway has a better view of the side boosters return. I still can't decide where to go. I guess I'll sleep on it and decide in the morning.

I'm always amazed at the launch photographers who regularly set remote cameras. They will take a $4000 camera and tie a plastic garbage bag around it to protect it. Sometimes the cameras sit out near the pad for days before they can be retrieved. We even saw an alligator near one of the remote camera sites today. There is no danger of theft at the space center, but there is plenty of danger from the weather or rocket fuel. There are lots of stories about cameras and lenses being damaged or destroyed. Lots of folks buy used lenses on eBay and some don't even put a protective glass filter in front of the lens. They think it will cause reflections. I doubt that I will ever set remote cameras myself. I'm very risk adverse and fabricating a protective cage for the camera makes flying from Dallas a lot more difficult. I still like to travel light.

Although I've been down here quite a few times, I'm definitely not one of the regulars. Some of these folks cover every single launch. There are a few launch photographers from major news outlets, but many just have their own podcast or take pictures for a website. A lot have full time jobs outside the space industry. I have no idea how they have the time or money to do this. If I lived nearby, I"d probably come to every launch as well. There's something mesmerizing about chasing rockets.

I'm really hoping for a successful launch tomorrow morning. I don't really want to extend my stay this time. The hotel said there are vacancies tomorrow night, but the flight back home will definitely be more expensive. I will get an article published about this launch, but I'm not sure what to say at this point. The mission is classified and just about everything about the payload is secret.

It doesn't seem much like Halloween. One of the bartenders was in costume where I ate dinner, but there certainly aren't any trick-or-treaters at the hotel.

Roxy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4693

It's been a long day. I'm back in Titusville again for another launch. This time it is a Falcon Heavy carrying a secret payload for the Defence Department. I have no idea what is being launched into orbit, but I do know that the two side boosters are coming back to land at Kennedy Space Center. Seeing these two rockets return side by side preceded by a dual sonic boom is always pretty spectacular.

It's a good thing I know my way around the Space Coast fairly well by now. It's impossible to find a rental car with an in-dash GPS anymore. The guy at the terminal said that I could look for myself and see if I could find one, but after starting up about ten different cars, I just gave up. No GPS for me this time. I made it to the hotel OK and I know where I'm going tomorrow, so all is well.

The day started normally enough. We took Dawn on a sunrise walk, came home and ate a big breakfast, and then I finished packing my bags. There was plenty of time to take Dawn on her Sunday outing before I had to leave for the airport. It was such a pretty day that it was a shame that I had to spend the day flying. I really enjoy my time at the space center, but I don't particularly enjoy traveling. 

I have a very slow Internet connection tonight, but I certainly have a fancy room. I think the hotel put me in the wrong room by mistake, because I certainly didn't reserve a three room suite. This place is huge. I'll have to check at the front desk in the morning and make sure I'm not paying extra for this. This hotel is very nice. It is brand new and is only a few miles from the space center. Too bad that it is almost always completely booked.

Tomorrow morning I'll go pick up my credentials at the Press Accreditation Office and then head over to the Press Site to join the folks setting up remote cameras. I don't set up remote cameras myself, but I like to get on the bus with the rest of the launch photographers. NASA doesn't 't let you get on the bus if you aren't actually going to set up remote cameras, but Space X doesn't mind. This is often the best part of attending a launch. You are able to spend several hours very close to the launch pad and there are many opportunities to take some great pictures. 

The launch itself is early Tuesday morning. I like daytime launches a lot better because you can see a lot more. The weather forecast looks good too. Lets just hope that nothing goes wrong with the rocket between now and Tuesday. I've got two choices of where to view the launch. I'll ask the guys on the remote bus tomorrow which location is best. 

I need to remember to set an alarm for tomorrow morning. The Press Accreditation Office is only open for two hours. I'd hate to have come all this way and miss getting my credentials.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4692

I voted this morning. I doubt that my vote will curtail inflation, bring crime under control, or end the woke insanity, but maybe there are other people who agree with me. We'll see. I always vote these days even though at times I feel it's pointless. When I was in my 20's and 30's I never voted. I jokingly told friends that I preferred a monarchy as long as I was a member of the aristocracy. My Mom always implored me to vote, but it was Janet who finally turned me into a voter. I'm convinced that the true believers in either party are a small but very vocal minority. They mostly just want to control things. I think they've forgotten that it is the ambivalent people like me who really control elections. For the most part we just want to be left alone and are more than willing to live and let live. If you political types make us mad enough to actually come out and vote, you're toast.

I was supposed to be packing for my trip today, but as usual I'm way behind schedule. I spent most of the day just doing my regular Saturday stuff. We walked Dawn a bit later this morning because we were waiting for the rain to stop. Dawn was fine with us having breakfast before her walk because she smelled bacon cooking. We always have a big traditional breakfast on weekends. Shredded wheat and fruit is only for weekdays. We eventually had a nice morning walk with Dawn and then I did my grocery shopping.

I continue to be amazed at today's prices. Inflation is real. I've bought the same things over and over again for many years and almost everything costs double what it did a few years ago. Something is very wrong here. They say we are dealing with 8% inflation but food prices are up way more than 8%. It's not just food either. The cost of everything has gone up dramatically. 

I thought about going back to the gym today, but decided to take advantage of the cool weather and walk in the park instead. I was actually a little cold on today's walk and I probably should have worn a jacket. The birds must have liked today's weather. Hundreds of White Pelicans were soaring overhead while the very vocal Monk Parakeets were flying from tree to tree at a much lower altitude. There were a group of artists making large wood block prints using a steam roller as a press. The spectacle attracted a large audience, but I didn't stop walking. I had ducks to count and was well on my way toward a 20,000 step day.

Although I haven't packed my suitcase yet, I did finish some of my pre-trip planning. I did a load of wash so I'll have clean clothes. I printed all the documents I'll need and put them in my familiar manilla envelope. I charged the batteries on all my devices. Now I just need to pack my bags while trying not to forget anything important.

I'm still having second thoughts about attending this launch. Are rocket launches really this important? Probably the important thing is that I continue to stay busy and active. Being a space journalist gives me something to do. I don't enjoy traveling that much, but I do enjoy my time at Kennedy Space Center. There will still be time to take Dawn on her Sunday outing tomorrow. I won't have time to go mall walking, but I'll get my steps by walking up and down the concourse while waiting for my flight.

Dakota is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4691

Another rainy day. We were able to take Dawn on a very early walk before the rain started, but it hasn't stopped since. There haven't been any roof leaks yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear a dripping sound soon. The pumps on the roof are still working, although I think one of them is partially clogged. Considering how hard it has been raining, a lot more water should be coming through the discharge hose.

It has been a dismal, very wet day, but it still seemed like a pretty normal Friday. I ate my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast, checked my messages, and made plans to go to the gym. I kept hoping that the rain would stop, but it never did. Ordinarily I'd avoid driving in heavy rain, but I've become totally addicted to getting my steps. There were more people at the gym than I thought there'd be. Makes sense I guess. What else do you do on a dismal, rainy day? I was better on the basketball court today and kept up a pretty good pace on the indoor track. I didn't feel like doing much else though. Once I got my steps, I was ready to go home.

Against my better judgement, I've decided to go to the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch. The launch takes place pretty soon, but I was able to make travel arrangements. I initially thought that this trip would be too expensive, considering that I'm going back to Florida in the middle of November for the Artemis launch. Luckily I remembered that I had enough points to book my flight using points. That helped a lot because fares were really high this time. Airfares seem to change minute-by-minute. The cost can vary dramatically, depending on when you need to fly. I lucked out on my hotel as well. There's a brand new Hyatt very near the space center that I've been wanting to try. It's never been available before. 

I got credentialed by both Space X and The Space Force for this launch, so I'll have a choice of where to set up my cameras. The Space Force provides viewing from the ITL Causeway and the Space X viewing site will be on the Press Site lawn. I'm not sure which of these locations provides a better view of the two side boosters returning to Landing Zone 1, but I'll find out. I've seen one of these Falcon Heavy launches before and it's pretty spectacular when the two boosters return side-by-side to land at the space center.

The tree guy returned my call today and said it would be two weeks before he could come remove the tree from my roof. I wish he could come sooner, but it is what is is. Right now the broken limb is lodged between the edge of the roof and another branch in the tree that it fell from. I noticed today that the limb has slipped a bit after today's heavy rain. Hopefully the limb will stay where it is until the tree guy arrives. If it falls to the ground it will likely do some damage.

I hope the weather clears up tomorrow. I don't do well on days like this. I'm always worried that the roof is going to start leaking again and I tend to get cabin fever quickly. I like a day where I always have an option of walking in the park and am never forced to drive in the rain. Rain or shine I've got grocery shopping to do tomorrow. I'd better start packing for the Falcon Heavy launch too.

Abi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4690

The dryer is fixed. Now it's on to solving other problems. The repair took longer and was more expensive than I expected because the broken exhaust fan was permanently attached to the motor that turned the drum. This was frustrating. I ended up having to get a new motor, even though there was nothing wrong with the old one. After also replacing the roller bearings and dryer belt, I could have bought a new dryer for less than the cost of these repairs. It would have been an inferior bottom of the barrel dryer though. Oh, well. I like our dryer and now it works again.

Dawn is totally indifferent to having repairmen in the house. Our other dogs would have been barking nonstop, but Dawn just ignores these people. She also ignores the vacuum cleaner, which is definitely unusual with any dog. I vacuumed the bedroom today and Dawn just sat on the bed watching me. Some things do bother Dawn though. I could tell that she was upset that Janet was out of the house too long today. Hey girl, I'm still here.

I didn't take a long walk today. Dealing with the dryer repairs took too much time. I did get outside for long enough to get my 10,000 steps. That was enough. My feet hurt and I was unusually tired. I'll try to take a decent walk tomorrow, unless by some miracle the tree guy decides to show up and remove the tree from my roof. He's never called me back with a schedule yet. I wish it wasn't so difficult to get things done. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky.

I got credentialed for the Falcon Heavy USSF-44 Mission. Now I've got to decide whether to go to this launch instead of the Artemis launch later in November. I guess I could splurge and go to both, but that's getting really expensive. I still don't know how much it is going to cost to remove the tree on the roof. I'll think about this tomorrow. I'm not sure I could find a hotel for the Falcon Heavy launch anyway.

I need to find time to go vote soon. I used to vote on election day, but early voting seems so much easier these days. Our polling place is right across the street from Home Depot. Maybe I need something from Home Depot as well. I always seem to need something from Home Depot.

Our Fall weather is still quite pleasant, but there is rain in the forecast again. Boo. Unless we get up really early, we might not even be able to take Dawn on her sunrise walk. If we get a lot of rain, I'll have to rethink my plans. I hate driving in the rain.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4689

I really thought I was going to get the dryer fixed today but it wasn't meant to be. When the appliance repairman arrived he discovered that another part was needed that wasn't on the truck. The part was available in town and we decided that it made more sense to just do all the repairs tomorrow rather than tear the machine apart twice. This means that I will have to remove all the junk from the utility room all over again tomorrow morning. It took me about an hour to do this today and I'm sure it will take just as long tomorrow. Not surprisingly, the repairs are more expensive than I'd hoped, but when they are finished I should have a reliable dryer again.

I didn't have time for a long walk today, but I was able to get my 10,000 steps before the repairman arrived. I guess I could have walked again later in the day, but I didn't feel like it. I asked if I could be the first appointment tomorrow morning so I won't have to wait as long. I wish I'd thought of this earlier. If there are several appointments ahead of you, it is almost inevitable that the repairman will be late. 

The tree guy I called yesterday actually called me back. This surprised me, but I'm glad I'll be able to get the large tree limb removed from our roof without having to deal with someone I've never used before. Nothing on the schedule yet. The guy was on a job when he called and said he'd get back with me later. This may take a while, but at least it's a start.

Tonight was the annual Halloween party at Dawn's training class. We've been to so many of these parties with Dot and Dash. I can't even remember all the costumes we've made for the dogs over the years. I went along with Janet tonight, mostly for old time's sake. Dawn went as Cruella DeVil and won first place in her category. Dawn didn't like wearing the Cruella wig, but she was a good sport about it. I enjoyed going to these classes when we had Dot and Dash. It's better if I don't go now. I could tell that Dawn got distracted when I was there tonight. She kept jumping up on me as if she was trying to get me to save her from having to wear the wig.

I'm still trying to find a carpenter to repair the rotted fascia wood on my roof. I tried several websites and got a response from one. I still don't like this attempt to totally automate things. I always used to get better results when a trusted friend would recommend someone and I could mention their name when I called. Sometimes the old fashioned way of doing things is still the best.

I canceled the hotel reservation I made in Cocoa Beach for the Artemis launch and now only have the other hotel I booked in Titusville. I wanted to do this before I forgot that I had made two different reservations. The more I think about it, the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch might be the better one to attend. The Falcon Heavy is supposed to launch at sunrise and will be a better photo opportunity than the midnight Artemis launch. Since I haven't been credentialed yet for the Falcon Heavy launch, this is all just idle speculation. I'm not even sure if I want to go to either launch. Scheduling these things is becoming way too complicated.

Hopefully the dryer will get fixed tomorrow and I can cross one more thing off my list. It's a long list though. There's always something that needs attention.

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4688

It's always something. We had a huge wind storm last night and a big branch from one of our Oak trees fell on the roof. The branch is way too big for me to deal with myself, so I called the last tree trimmer I used. He never called me back. I thought I might as well try to deal with a few other issues as well, so I called the last carpenter I used to come repair some rotted fascia on the house. Oops. No longer a working number. I contacted another carpenter who had good reviews on the Internet and he said he was completely booked for the next four months. He advised me to contact a different carpenter but didn't recommend any. Oh, well. I am getting our dryer fixed though. I guess in today's world, one out of three isn't bad.

It was really windy on our sunrise walk with Dawn. I thought she wouldn't want to walk on a day like this, but she was fine with the wind. Actually it seemed to invigorate her. Janet was fine too. I was the only one worried that a tree was going to fall on us. At least the air felt clear and clean. The wind must have blown away all the pollen that has been aggravating my allergies.

The wind died down as I was eating breakfast and it was calm outside by the time I was ready to take my long walk. I didn't feel like going to the gym today. It was a bit chilly when I started walking but it warmed up quickly. I maintained a pretty good pace today and my feet didn't hurt much. I thought I'd see a lot of downed trees in the park during my six mile walk, especially since one fell on our roof during the night. Surprisingly, most of the trees looked exactly the same as they did last week. I only saw a single downed tree and the park department guys were already removing it. I wish I could get these guys to help with my trees. They are very efficient. 

My experiences with finding service people today has made me realize that I'm not ready for what the world has become. Over the years I've built up a carefully curated list of repair people I knew I could depend on. I had the best plumbers, electricians, carpenters, glaizers, HVAC repairmen, and much more on this list. The entire list is useless now. Everyone has retired, died, or simply disappeared. So far, using the Internet to find suppliers has not been a satisfactory replacement for the recommendations I used to get from friends. I refuse to use Angie's list. 

I'm having second thoughts about even going to the next Artemis launch attempt. It's disappointing that this next attempt is at midnight, so there won't be good photo opportunities. I'm not wild about the hotel I was able to book and the entire trip seems expensive and somewhat pointless. Since SpaceFlight Magazine has already published my article about the launch that got scrubbed, I'm not even sure they'd be interested in another article about the same rocket. I'm not canceling anything yet though. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today.

Tomorrow I've got to clean out the utility room again and wait for the appliance repairman. They always give you a four hour window and then end up coming at the end of the day. The repair needs to be done though. A washer without a dryer isn't of much use. I wonder when I'm going to be able to get my steps tomorrow? I've always got to get my steps.

Patch is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4687

What a dismal day. It basically rained all day, although we were able to take Dawn on an abbreviated sunrise walk during a break in the clouds. The rain has been heavy enough that I'm worried about the roof leaking, but so far so good. The pumps on the roof are still working and that's probably helping a bit.

There's not a lot to do on a cold rainy day. I ate my breakfast and checked my messages for nonexistent messages from NASA. I was getting ready to go to the gym when we had a short power outage. Power outages freak Dawn out. Maybe it's the beeping noises the battery backup devices make when they kick in. Dawn couldn't find anyplace where she felt safe and ended up huddled in the kitchen. The power came back on in less than ten minutes but that was of little comfort to Dawn. I couldn't get her to come back to the bedroom at all. 

I waited around for her to calm down and tried taking her outside so that she could see that everything was alright. Nothing seemed to work. Dawn tried sitting on several living room chairs, but couldn't find a place where she felt comfortable. I finally ended up leading her back to the bedroom on a leash and sat with her until she started to relax. I don't know what causes this behavior, but it seems to happen every time there's a power outage.

The rain wasn't going to stop, but it was a fairly gentle rain and Dawn eventually fell asleep in the bed. I went to the gym, but I turned off the backup batteries before I left. Hopefully if there was another power outage, there wouldn't be any beeping noises. The fact that I would willingly drive in the rain shows how addicted I've become to getting my daily steps. Rain or shine I need to get at least 10,000 steps.

The gym was surprisingly crowded today. I thought the place would be empty, but what else are you going to do on a rainy day. Probably a lot of people were getting cabin fever sitting at home waiting for the rain to stop. I was absolutely terrible on the basketball court this morning, but I eventually completed thirty free throws and moved on the the running track. I walked two miles, got my steps, and headed home again. I thought the rain might clean up my car, but it wasn't meant to be. Passing spray from other cars just made the car even muddier.

One of the pumps on the roof must be partially clogged. It wasn't operating well today and kept throwing the breaker for the pump circuit. I didn't climb up on the roof to investigate because it was pretty nasty outside. Maybe if it clears up tomorrow I'll go up on the roof and clean out the pump, but I think my roof climbing days are just about over. It's slippery up there and I'm not as nimble as I used to be.

It's not raining right now, but the day isn't over yet. I see another band of storms approaching us on the weather radar and I'm starting to hear thunder. I'm not a big fan of an all day rain. Sure, the yard needed the water, but I definitely don't need the stress of waiting for the next roof leak. Maybe I'll get lucky this time. After this narrow storm band passes, I think it's clear sailing for the rest of the night.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4686

Lots of walking today. We got up later this morning, so we didn't need to attach lights to our jackets for Dawn's morning walk. It was quite windy today. Maybe that is why there is rain in the forecast. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but I kind of felt like going back to bed. I got plenty of sleep last night, but apparently not enough.

We always have a big family breakfast on weekends. Dawn likes this because she gets more table scraps. She loves bacon. The temperature was still cool enough to go walking in the park after breakfast, but I decided to go to the mall instead. I enjoy walking in the mall before the stores open. The temperature is perfect and the filtered air never gives me any allergy problems. The floors are smooth and I don't have to worry about tripping over a loose stone. No snakes either.

There are three types of people who seem to enjoy mall walking. There are old people like me. There are families with small children. And there are young couples on a very cheap date. Maybe some of these people stay and buy stuff after the stores open. Not me. As the stores prepare to open, the place starts to fill up and I get a strong desire to leave. I've gotten used to seeing a line in front of the Apple Store as it prepares to open. Today there was a line in front of the Swatch Store as well. Why? These are just cheap plastic watches.

I wonder how some of these stores stay in business. The clothes on display aren't very attractive and don't even begin to resemble what the people wandering around are actually wearing. The shoes on display are uniformly terrible. How did super thick soles get to be a thing? Maybe the shoe makers are just grasping at straws. People aren't wearing these shoes. They are all just wearing running shoes.

I walked three miles and came home. After resting for a few minutes Janet and I took Dawn on her Sunday outing. She is always super excited to go and then gets scared as soon as she gets in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a road trip. The weather was nice today and Dawn got another one mile walk. I fell behind as we completed our walk and approached the car. I don't know why I was so tired today.

The ice cream cones are getting smaller. When we first started getting ice cream on Sunday, the cones were definitely bigger. They were less expensive too. I hope this isn't a sign of the times. The little Chinese restaurant we like across the street has already gone out of business. It's probably not a great time to own a restaurant. Somehow I think the ice cream store will do OK. There always seems to be a line of cars in front of the take-out window when we arrive.

I still haven't heard anything about the Falcon Heavy launch. I think this is supposed to take place this Thursday, but credential notices haven't gone out yet. I don't even think they've officially announced a launch date. None of this really matters because I can't afford another trip anyway. That being said, seeing a Falcon Heavy that actually launches is probably better than watching another Artemis launch get postponed again. I'm scheduled to go down for the next launch attempt, but I'm not terribly optimistic about a success.

I need to call the appliance repairman again. The slipping belt in the dryer is getting worse. I really need to get this fixed because I hate going to the laundromat.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4685

Today was busy. We got up extra early so Dawn could go down to the park and pee before we left for the Dalmatian Rescue Golf Tournament. Janet left first so she could help check the golfers in and I left about an hour later to take pictures. This was our first morning tournament. Previously, everyone ate lunch and then there was a shotgun start around 1 PM. Most teams seemed to like this early start better.

It was a beautiful day, although it was quite windy. The wind might have affected the golfer's score but it didn't dampen their enthusiasm. Everyone had a good time. It took me a while to find the teams playing in the tournament. The course was huge and there were jogging trails mixed in with the cart paths. Occasionally I would find myself on a jogging trail and wonder why I wasn't seeing any golfers. After circling the course several times in my cart, I eventually found everyone for their team pictures.

Most of the people who adopted the litter of puppies we had back in April came to the tournament. I was amazed at how quickly the puppies had grown. They all looked like adult dogs now. All Sammy's puppies looked fabulous. This was an exceptionally good looking litter. I enjoyed getting a chance to see the dogs again, and the dogs seemed to enjoy seeing their brothers and sisters. Lots of other people brought their dogs as well, but we didn't take Dawn to the tournament. She wouldn't have made it this far in the car. It's a shame that she is still terrified of car rides, but she seemed happy enough to take a long nap on the bed while we were gone.

My knees are terrible now. Every time I got down on my knees to get a better angle, I had trouble getting back up again. I think I took some decent pictures, but some of the people took even better pictures using their phones. Smart phones have come a long way since we started doing these golf tournaments. The annual golf tournament is still Dalmatian Rescue's biggest fundraiser of the year. We've had more golfers in previous years, but I think we still did pretty well. 

After finishing my photo duties, I drove home again so I could feed Dawn and let her out to pee. She actually seemed glad to see me this time. I'm usually around the house and this was a long time for her to be alone. After Dawn finished her lunch, I left to do my grocery shopping. There was no time for a long walk today, but I got plenty of steps walking around the golf course. 

As usual I had trouble finding certain items. I think selective scarcity is just a fact of life now. Rising prices are definitely a fact of life. I ran into an old ad agency buddy while I was at the grocery store. We hadn't seen each other in over five years and were both old men now. We traded stories about surviving the  Covid years and wondered about the future of the ad biz. A lot has changed. I think we were both glad we spent our working years during advertising's golden age. I had a lot more fun working during the 70's than I do facing retirement while I'm in my 70's.

Dawn was glad to see that life had returned to normal after Janet returned to the house later in the day. We had a light dinner and got ready to start over again tomorrow. I'll probably go mall walking again and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. It was nice to have a change of pace today. I'm not a very sociable person, but I enjoyed going to the tournament. Hopefully my knees will still function when we do this again next year.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4684

Today was uneventful. I almost made us late for our sunrise walk when I fell back asleep after Janet's ten minute warning wake up call. Luckily I can get dressed quick and I was ready before she tied her shoes and Dawn had her harness on. We walked in the dark again. I need to find some better clip-on lights. The ones I wear now are too bright and mess with my night vision. I'm going to look for a red LED armband that I can wear for astrophotography as well.

I waited about an hour after breakfast to take my long walk in the park. The temperature warms up quickly and I didn't want to wear a coat that I would have to take off and tie around my waist when I was halfway finished. The temperature feels just about perfect around 10 AM now, so that's when I'm trying to leave the house. I wish the city was quieter. Nothing spoils a perfect day faster than a cacophony of leaf blowers, chain saws, and police sirens. When I used to take my morning walk out at the observatory all I would hear was the wind and the occasional sound of a hawk flying overhead. I really miss the sound of silence.

There's not a lot going on in the park these days. The construction work on the trails is finished now and there are fewer joggers and cyclists when the weather is cooler. I watch the leaves turn yellow and fall from the trees. I count ducks and watch out for snakes. I saw a baby copperhead yesterday. You've really got to watch out for these things in the late Fall. The babies are even more poisonous than the adults. This is why we always try to stay on the trails with Dawn. I really don't want her to get bitten by a snake.

Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of nature. I just don't like people. I can walk my six miles in the park without having to talk with anybody. The only downside to these long walks is foot pain.  I wish there was a solution, but I'm not very optimistic. Articular cartilage cannot regrow or heal because it doesn’t have any blood vessels. This doesn't stop people from offering a wide variety of cures. Some say damaged cartilage can grow back. Really? Where do they get their information? I've taken Glucosamine for years and it doesn't seem to do anything. They say eating oranges, nuts, and brussel sprouts helps too. I like all these foods, but still have bone on bone contact when I walk. I'm not complaining though. I'm still doing pretty well for a guy who will turn 75 next summer.

I'm convinced that I'm paying way too much for cable TV. I looked up U-verse rates on the AT&T website today and their advertised rates are quite a bit less than what I'm actually paying. I tried to change my plan on the website this afternoon. You used to be able to do this, but now a page comes up that just asks you to call a representative instead. I didn't call. I'm sure if I got someone on the phone they'd just try to convince me that their exorbitant rate was actually a bargain. I think I know what is going on, but I'll have to go to a store and talk to someone in person. I'm an early adopter of almost everything. U-verse was more expensive when it was initially introduced quite a few years ago. I probably got grandfathered in at the old rate. Companies have no problem overcharging you if you don't complain.

Tomorrow is the annual Dalmatian Rescue golf tournament. I usually take team pictures of the golfers at these events. I'll ride around the course on a cart and stop and take pictures whenever I see a team playing.  I'll take a team picture and then try to get a few pictures of players teeing off or putting. This seemed easy when I was younger, but now it seems tiring. Depending on how many teams there are, it can be a long time to be out in the sun. I'm glad the tournament is in the morning tomorrow because the weather will be cooler.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4683

I got up early to take my car in for service this morning. They told me that if I was the first customer, I could wait while they did the work and I wouldn't have to leave the car for the day. The service appointment didn't take long because one of their machines broke and they couldn't do everything they'd planned. I did get an oil and filter change though and they turned off the annoying "service required" light on the dash. I was back home again before 9 AM.

I got an unpleasant surprise this morning when my hotel in Titusville called and told me that they had to cancel my reservation. What? Apparently they had a severe plumbing problem and an entire floor of the hotel had flooded. This left me in a bad situation. I'd made my reservations early to make sure I had a room for the next Artemis launch attempt. Now it was several weeks later and I had to scramble to find anything that wasn't already completely booked. All the convenient Airbnb's in the area were gone. I eventually found a hotel in Cocoa Beach, but it was a lot further away than I would have liked. Even worse, I will have to leave Dallas on launch day just to get a room. This won't really be a problem since the launch is at midnight but it is cutting things a little close. I kept looking and finally found another hotel that was closer to the space center but it was kind of run down. I booked this one too. I'll think about it for a few days and cancel one of the reservations. Since I'm leaving a day later now, I had to change my airline and rental car reservations as well. All this kind of makes me wonder why I do this. Attending a popular launch is so much trouble to arrange and it's all over in just a few minutes. It's amazing how quickly these rockets disappear in the sky.

Janet took Dawn on her sunrise walk while I was getting my car serviced, but I did get to take a walk in the park later in the day. I didn't do well today at all. My feet hurt for the entire walk and I was pretty slow. At least the weather was nice. It was a lot warmer than yesterday, but it was still a very pleasant Fall day. The walk itself was fairly boring, but not as boring as going to the gym.

It took me so long to find another hotel and reschedule everything that I didn't have much time for anything else today. I liked my original plan a lot better, but I guess this will have to do. I've always hated surprises and this was a big one. I'll still get to see the launch though, assuming that it doesn't get canceled or postponed again. I still can't decide whether to try to attend the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch as well. I haven't heard anything about my credentials yet, but this launch is happening pretty soon. Why are they waiting until the last minute to approve credentials? Oh, well. It is what it is. Realistically, it's too expensive for me to go to two launches so close together anyway, but I'll wait to make a final decision until I hear whether I've been accepted. 

Since my service appointment wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be, I can probably go ahead and get the dryer fixed this month. The machine still dries clothes just fine, but it's started making an ominous noise. I can't realistically ignore this much longer because the belt that turns the drum is starting to fail. The last time the appliance repairman was at the house I asked him how long the belt would last. "Maybe you've got a week. Maybe you've got a year," he told me. That wasn't much help at all.

It seems like it should be Saturday tomorrow, but we've still got another day to go. I've taken this weeks trash out to the curb and am still fretting about my change in travel plans. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Emily is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4682

I knew this was going to happen. We woke up this morning and there was no heat on the coldest day of the year so far. I was pretty sure I knew what was wrong because this happens every year. The furnace flame sensor gets dirty and the burners won't light. A repairman taught me how to fix the problem myself and it has saved me a ton of money over the years. That being said, I still don't enjoy doing the repair. It's an easy fix that involves sanding the flame sensor with fine grit sandpaper. The problem is that I have to dismantle part of the furnace to access the sensor. It is located down near the floor which is hard on my knees as well. At any rate, I got the furnace working again before breakfast, because I hate being cold while I eat.

It was really chilly this morning. I had to put on some extra layers for our sunrise walk. Dawn didn't need to wear a sweater yet, but if it gets any colder that's next. The park was really empty this morning. The colder it gets, the fewer runners and cyclists we see. Dawn really enjoys this cooler weather and I'm happy with it as well. I've got plenty of warm coats and I don't sweat much on a chilly day. The stars were out when we got started this morning. It reminded me that I ought to spend a little more time stargazing. Maybe not though. It's just not that much fun here in Dallas.

Once I finished breakfast and was satisfied that the furnace was running properly, I took my long walk. I didn't do as well this morning. My pace was slower and my feet hurt. There is no way to predict how I'm going to feel until I start walking. I thought this was going to be a good day when we took our sunrise walk with Dawn. Apparently not. By the time I returned home I felt like soaking my feet in a bucket of warm water. It was a beautiful day for a walk. My feet just weren't having any part of it.

After lunch I got out my video gear and checked everything out while recharging a bunch of batteries. I discovered that I'd forgotten how to use my wireless microphones and had to download a PDF document to relearn how to use the transmitter and receiver. Will I ever use this equipment again? It's doubtful. Making corporate videos was an important part of my business back in the day. I had a little editing studio and did everything myself. I still have the tape machines but I doubt that anything is done on tape these days. Oh, well. The equipment paid for itself and most of it is sitting in the storage warehouse now.

Dawn graduated to the advanced group at her training class this week. Janet said she did well, although she didn't bring home any ribbons. Next week the class is having a Halloween party and Dawn is going as Cruella de Vil. Janet made her a cute costume, but we don't know how long she will keep the Cruella wig on.  

I've got to get up early and take my car in for a service appointment tomorrow morning. We'll see how expensive the repairs are before I move on and get the dryer fixed. There's always something that needs to be fixed.

Diva is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4681

Brr. Winter arrived a little early this year. The furnace was on when we woke up this morning and it was time for a change in walking attire. I wore long pants on our sunrise walk and added a sweater under my jacket. It wasn't that cold, but it's been a while since we've seen temperatures in the 50's. Dawn loved the cooler weather. She was full of energy this morning and we completed our one mile loop three minutes faster than usual.

It was another good day for a long walk in the park. There was no sense in going to the gym on a day like this. I ate my breakfast and waited a while for the sun to get higher before leaving the house. It never did warm up very much, but the sky was clear and the cold front seems to have cleared away my allergy problems for a while. It felt good not to have a runny nose today. I didn't make great time, but I did OK. I saw quite a few photographers with long telephoto lenses looking for the eagles, but the birds appeared to be in hiding. Watching this quest to see the eagles made me feel like I was walking back in time. It was exactly like this last October.

I've been thinking about deleting several of my social media accounts because I never use them anymore. I keep thinking that some of these accounts might be the source of all the spam I'm getting. I haven't used LinkedIn in years. I couldn't even remember my password. When I finally logged in with a new password, I was surprised to discover that only 11 people have visited in the past two years. There was a time when I thought that LinkedIn might bring me business but it never did. It hardly seemed worth the trouble to delete this abandoned account, so I just turned off everything I could on the settings page and left. I also thought about deleting my Instagram account but then I remembered that NASA likes people to use Instagram when they visit the space center. There was also a time when I regularly posted on Instagram, but it is no longer a showcase for photographers and I've lost interest. Once again it didn't feel like it was worth the trouble to actually delete the account. Who knows. I might start using this again someday.

I've become ambivalent about social media in general. I only continue blogging because I'm determined to reach my 5000 day goal. Blogging definitely isn't like is used to be. I don't think anyone reads the blog anymore. A few friends still read the JPEG images of the blog I post post every day on Facebook, but I don't know if anybody still reads the real blog. The last time I looked at the stats, it showed that I only had two readers per day. That can't be right. This used to be a really popular blog back in the day.

I'll probably wind up right back where I started, writing my daily journal with a ball point pen in a little leather book. Writing is still a useful skill. I have a terrible memory and if I want to know what I was doing back in 1985, it's all there somewhere. I saved all the journals, just like I've saved all the negatives from decades of photography before the digital world was invented. I used to spend hours and hours in the darkroom. I don't think I've developed a roll of film or printed anything in twenty-five years but I used to be pretty good at it.

I don't know why I'm feeling nostalgic today. I guess the world in the rear view mirror seems more appealing than the world looking forward. I haven't turned into a prepper yet, but the future does look bleak. I think I'd be happier if I could bring myself to turn off the computer for good and quit watching cable news. I'm pretty good at amusing myself doing simple things and definitely don't need a daily diet of bad news. 

Little Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4680

Today was busy. We got started with a nice early morning walk. I hesitate to call these sunrise walks anymore because usually we have completed our walk and are home again well before sunrise. It was dark and a bit chilly this morning. We clipped lights to our jackets and Dawn wore her green LED collar. I wish everyone wore lights when they walked in the dark. It's still a little unsettling when a runner, or even worse a stealth bicycle, surprises you in the dark.

After my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, I checked my messages and took my long walk in the park. This was the first time this season that I've worn a jacket on one of these walks. I still wore shorts though. It will have to get a little colder before I resort to long pants. That day is probably coming soon. The cold front that arrived with our recent rain promises even lower temperatures later in the week. 

I made good time today although I didn't set any records. My feet didn't bother me much, which always makes a difference. This weekend's rain washed away much of the sticky aphid honeydew on the roads. It was nice not to have to clean my shoes when I returned this morning. Hopefully these aphids will disappear soon, just like the ants and web worms that preceded them. We don't have a lot of Maple trees here in Dallas, but the ones I do see are showing some nice Fall color. Some of the Red Oaks actually do turn bright red in the Fall, but their leaves haven't started to turn yet. Some of the Pecan trees are turning yellow and I'm starting to see lots of Goldenrod near the shoreline at the lake. It's going to be a colorful Fall.

The park squirrels are all busy gathering nuts for the Winter. They love this season's abundant pecan crop. There seem to be more Double-Crested Cormorants every day and the female Muscovy Duck that has joined the two males is a permanent fixture now. Maybe there will be ducklings in a few months. No eagle sightings though. It will be easier to spot the eagles a few months from now when all the leaves are off the trees.

After I returned home I had a quick lunch before dealing with today's to-do list. I never used to eat lunch. Maybe that's why I've been gaining weight. You'd think I'd be losing weight with all the time I spend walking. I guess I need to walk faster.  I paid a bunch of bills this afternoon and did this month's Quickbooks accounting. This takes longer than you'd think because I am obsessively meticulous and have a Quickbooks category for just about everything. 

I finally made an appointment to see the eye doctor, even though I'm dreading the visit. I was glad that the first he could see me was sometime in December. I'm in no hurry. I actually am in a hurry to get my car serviced though, so I made an appointment to get this done as well. I'm tired of seeing that annoying "service required" light every time I start the car. Unfortunately, nobody offers loaner cars anymore. That convenience disappeared with Covid. I was able to schedule a time where I can just wait at the shop while they do the required service. I'd rather sit around at the shop for a few hours than deal with Uber again. I've never been a fan of Uber and Lyft.

Curiosity got the better of me and I upgraded the star tracker to the latest firmware this afternoon. I don't expect a lot more of these software updates. The product has finally reached production status and is available in stores now. My days as a beta tester are coming to a close. I did get a good deal on the tracker by becoming a Kickstarter backer. The retail version of the star tracker sells for a lot more than what I paid.

The last thing I did today was a load of laundry. You can't have a proper busy day without doing a little laundry. Maybe I should have saved some of this stuff for tomorrow. I have no plans for tomorrow at all.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4679

Today's all day rain didn't really amount to much. The only time we got wet was when we tried to take Dawn on her sunrise walk. The weather radar failed us this time. I thought we had enough time to take a short walk, but the rain started almost immediately. Dawn did her business in a hurry and we headed back to the house.

I didn't want to risk getting wet again, so I went mall walking after breakfast instead of walking in the park. The temperature was nice and cool, but the skies looked ominous. I was surprised at how crowded the mall was today. At first glance you would have thought the stores were open. There were a lot more families with children today. I guess when the kids can't play outside on a rainy day, you take them to the mall. I walked an extra lap around the mall this morning because we didn't get our sunrise walk. One way or another, I was going to get my steps.

I'm starting to see some of the same people every Sunday. It's the same way when I walk in the park. I guess everybody has their regular routines. Some people walk around the mall in a clockwise direction while others go counterclockwise. This direction never seems to change. I'm a clockwise person myself. I wonder when the Christmas displays will start to appear. Christmas merchandise is already out at Walmart and Sam's Club. It looks like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all happening at the same time.

The rain was basically over by the time I returned home, so Dawn got her Sunday outing anyway. It was pleasant outside, even though the ground was a little wet. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but she still doesn't ride well in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a car trip. She does calm down when we get to the ice cream store though. I think Dawn likes ice cream even more than we do.

I washed the car this afternoon. I thought a heavy rain might clean it off on the way to the mall, but a light rain just got it muddy. My office is always a perpetual mess, but I do like a clean car. It seems like I'm always washing the car even though I don't drive much.

There's a new update for the star tracker available, but I didn't feel like dealing with it today. I have spent far more time updating this thing and installing new firmware than actually using it. Maybe someday. I'm still fascinated by astrophotography, but I can't imagine spending much time outside at night in Dallas. The few times I've gone outside to observe something I'm usually interrupted by multiple police cars racing down our street in pursuit of bad guys. Our own neighborhood is relatively safe, but this street appears to be a superhighway to high crime areas. 

It doesn't look like we are going to make it to the fair this year. Sometimes going to the fair seems like a fun thing to do. This year we had no interest. I don't think we missed much. Neither of us like fair food and yesterday there was an active shooter scare that had everyone running for the exits. One of the reasons I like going to Kennedy Space Center is that everyone has to go through a background check to get their credentials. I feel very safe wandering around the space center. Not so much here in Dallas.

I need to make an appointment to see the eye doctor next week. It doesn't seems like a year since my last visit, but here we are again. I"m dreading this visit because I know the doctor will want to schedule cataract surgery almost immediately. I can tell my cataracts have gotten worse this year. I'm sure the doctor will know too.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4678

We got a late start this morning. The sun was already up when we took our sunrise walk. There's a lot of Fall color in the trees now. It won't be long before I'll be raking leaves again. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but it was certainly nice today. I wish our Fall weather lasted a little longer. It's my favorite time of year.  

After our regular Saturday breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast I did my grocery shopping. I continue to be amazed by current prices. Many items are literally double what they cost several years ago. You wonder how long this can continue? I'll have to admit that I've never really understood the wage/price spiral. Prices go up and then wages go up to compensate, so you are always more or less in the same place. What is the point? I do understand that if something is genuinely rare or scarce, the price would realistically be higher, but we have an abundance of most things. Life would certainly be easier if everything had an intrinsic value that stayed the same.

After I completed my shopping, I came home and checked my messages before heading for the gym. Nothing from NASA or the Space Force. There is still no firm schedule for the Falcon Heavy launch. It doesn't really matter, since I can't afford to go to two launches in a single month anyway. There are never many people at the gym on Saturday. There were only three other people on the floor when I arrived. I like a huge, empty gym. I can't imagine going someplace that it crowded all the time. I still shot free throws on the basketball court and walked two miles on the indoor track, but I've added the vibration plate to my routine as well. I've convinced myself that this thing will improve bone density.

I had to go back to one of the stores I was at earlier this morning because I forgot something. This happens more than I'd like to admit. Luckily the store was on the way home from the gym, so the extra trip was no trouble. We got such a late start today that I didn't even attempt to do anything else when I returned from the gym. I took a nap and as always, Dawn immediately left the room and went to her dog bed in the kitchen. I wish I could ask this dog what she was thinking. This behavior still seems very strange to me.

I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. We could use the rain but it is inconvenient. We wouldn't be able to take Dawn on her Sunday outing and it will be more trouble for me to take a long walk as well. I can always go mall walking at Northpark, but I don't even like to drive in the rain. Such trivial problems I have. 

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day